How to Choose an RV Repair Shop

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How to Choose an RV Repair Shop

Road trips and vacations aren’t just for summer time. The holidays are coming up, and whether you’re a retired couple driving across the country to see the grandkids or a younger couple taking the kids out on holiday vacation, you will need to get your RV inspected and any repairs addressed before you hit the road. Choosing an RV repair shop is a little bit trickier than finding your typical auto repair shop and mechanic. When choosing an RV repair shop, it is important to look at the quality of their work, their experience, certifications, and reviews. You’ve already invested a good amount of money into your RV, motor home, or camper, so don’t overlook any necessary repairs with a quick fix from inexperienced mechanics.

The Right Equipment

When choosing an RV repair shop, it is important that you search for shops with the right equipment and facilities to make the repairs. If your RV’s frame is bent or rusted, it will cause problems for you later on. Rust weakens the frame, and with all of that weight it can crack causing major issues while you’re out on the road. If the frame is bent, the alignment will be askew, making it difficult and dangerous to operate the large vehicle. It is a good idea when choosing a repair shop to see if they have a three dimensional frame measuring machine, which is one of the latest advancements in automotive repairs that allows the mechanics to get an accurate diagnosis of what needs to be repaired. Also look at their welding techniques for any frame or body repairs that need to be done. Squeeze-type resistance spot welding allows the mechanic to reproduce original manufacturer welds, which makes for higher quality repairs.

Since you’re in a recreational vehicle — not just driving from point A to Point B, but living in the vehicle while you travel long distances — it is important that you find a repair shop that stands behind their work, as part failures are much more serious than a with a regular car. Whether it is a water pump you will be depending on while camping in the Mojave Desert or an interior heater while you are driving along the Alaskan Highway through the Yukon, you want to make sure you have a trustworthy repair shop that will stand by their craftsmanship and offer lifetime warranties on all of their work. It’s a good sign when a company will do this because it shows their confidence in their abilities to meet your repair needs and that they are willing to replace any faulty products that were installed. The RV repair and restoration services at Premier Coach Works, for example, are supported by a 100% lifetime warranty.

Qualified and Certified

What makes them qualified to restore the siding on your RV, or to fix the suspension before you take it on the road? Quality repairs take a little more than knocking things together with nails and duct tape. Serious mechanics earn certifications through legitimate institutions so that they’re up to date on the latest techniques and technology when it comes to collision repairs and mechanical issues.

Is the repair shop actively participating in ongoing training? Premier Coach Works is ICAR Gold certified and our management staff is ICAR Platinum certified. We are also ASE Blue seal certified and hold ICAR Metal & aluminum welding certifications, as well as holding specialized auto manufacturer certifications. It is important when choosing your RV repair shop to inquire about their certifications.

You should also inquire as to whether the repair shop is approved and recommended by major insurance companies through “direct repair programs” (DRP). This approval shows that insurance companies trust the repair shop to perform quality work at a fair price. Because the insurance companies usually pay the repair shop directly for repairs after an accident, they are careful to only trust the most qualified repair shops. Premier Coach Works is approved by Nationwide, Allied, the Hartford, Progressive, GMAC, National General, AIG Insurance, ANPAC, American Family, Amica, California Casualty, Bristol West, Farm Bureau, Farmers, Foremost, Titan, Victoria, Pekin, Permanent General, Sentry, USAA RV, Wheels Fleet, and more!

Finally, you should also make sure that the repair shop is certified to use quality parts directly from the manufacturer of your vehicle when making repairs. For an RV repair shop to be Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) certified, they must know the best repair techniques from the manufacturers themselves. After extensive training, a lengthy and exhaustive certification process, and the implementation of several expensive renovations and new machines, a repair shop can gain the auto manufacturer’s trust and become certified to use parts from the original manufacturer of the vehicle, as opposed to after-market parts. In fact, Premier Coach Works recently earned its OEM certification from Chrysler, Dodge, Ram Truck, Ford, Nissan, & Honda. Make sure you ask about or look into the repair shops certifications so you can have piece of mind before taking your motor home on a long distance trip.

Remember, before you take the RV, motor home, or camper out on the road, make sure it gets necessary repairs. Whether it has been sitting dormant since the last big trip, you just bought a used one, or you were unfortunately in an accident, carefully choose a repair shop. Be sure to inquire if their equipment is updated, if they’ll offer warranties, and if they are certified and if those certifications are updated. And of course, do your research online and read other customers’ reviews.

If you just bought a used RV and want to get a few repairs completed before you take it on vacation, Premier Coach Works has the advanced equipment and OEM certified skills to meet your needs. For more information on RV repairs, please call 623-935-6678 or contact us online today.